Faith Matters - Current Posts

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Imagine that you are choosing between two job possibilities. You write out the pros and cons and ask God for direction. Much of your life hinges on the decision of where you work – where you live, your income and the people you’ll know. But I would like to suggest that even more important than where you work is how you work.By way of example, let’s imagine two men at the end of their careers, standing before God. Paul, a successful CEO, says to God, “I want you to know that I made great choices. I went to the best schools. I worked my way up in a Fortune 500 company and successfully ran for political office. Life was good and now I’m ready for heaven.”God replies, “Paul, your life was bad. You walked on the helpless and hurt people every step of the way. You ignored every principle of justice and righteousness I gave you in the Bible. You were a sinful and unfaithful servant.”Then it’s Fred’s turn. Fred, a factory worker, says to God, “I’m afraid I made the wrong choice. I should have stayed in school and become a doctor. Then I would have had a more successful life.”God answers, “Fred, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t measure your life by your title or income, but by the way you lived for me in the factory. I saw your love and kindness. I heard you tell my gospel to others. I watched you respond righteously to temptation. Well done, good and faithful factory worker.”You see, the true measure of our lives is not our choice of occupation, it’s whether we chose to live God’s way or sin’s way.